Review: The Activity #2

The Activity isone of those books that give you gooses bumps while reading. The intensitykeeps you on the edge of your seat until you realize you’re reading a comic andneed to place your back against the chair again. It’s the spy movie that Hollywoodhas dreamed of, but in comic book format. Personally I have to compare The Activity to the first Mission Impossible film. The intrigue ofthe mystery and the level of wits against wits in that movie are stillenjoyable to this day. Every scene and every feat was intense and the onlything to give me that same feeling since has been The Activity.

We were introduced to our newest member of Omaha, Fiddler inthe first issue and now we see her hazed by Sigint team as they fill her lockerwith cleaning supplies. Fiddler doesn’t have much time to think about it asthey’re pulled for another mission. The mission is to find out if a capturedspy is one Master Sergeant Drivas. Drivas has been MIA for four monthsundercover in Amsterdam and the team needs to find him. With some intel fromthe Sigint team they discover his location in the basement of a terrorist bar.Weatherman and Fiddler stumble in pretending to be drunk, once inside Switchfootcreeps in and tranqs everyone in sight. They continue on their non-lethalmission hoping for no mishaps, but who knows what else is waiting for the team.

There’s a lot going on in this book and it would be reallyunfair of me to ruin a spy book for you. Edmondson has delivered a book that the comic industry needed. This is the type of book that shows you don’t need asuperhero on the cover or any other pitfalls that people think of when they saythe word “comic.” This is what I think of, this book. A story that is originalwith solid characters and a storytelling style that fits the genre 100%. The Activity will be for Edmondson what Animal Man is for Grant Morrison, markmy words this series is going to be great.

Of course what is a great story without a great artist?Mitch Gerads owns this issue. The character movements are fluid from page topage giving them a sense of movement and life. At any one time a page can haveupwards of five different facial expressions and that adds to much of the personality of the book. Gerads nails the mixture of action driven scenes while alsoexceeding at the “planning” scenes as well, striking the needed balance between the two.

This is a great week for comics and this book is definitely ahighlight within that week. It has story, action and intensity while stayingtrue to the spy genre. In my last review I implied that this book reinvents thegenre, but now I would have to say that it doesn’t. It just does it right forthe first time since coming to comics. Make a note everyone, if you want tomake a spy comic… this series is your bible.

Score: 4/5

Writer: Nathan Edmondson

Artist: Mitch Gerads

Color Assistant: Kyle Latino

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.50

Release Date: 1/11/12

First Issue Review.